• Dagger In The D.A.R.C. Chapter One - From The Sky, They Fall
    30 Years Later
    It was a calm day in Aricrill. The air was cool, and the streets were full of
    merchants and townsfolk. Little did they know that it would all soon change.
    Four dark, hooded figures were crouched on the highest building in all of Brash.
    "So," said Valryk Blackdagger; the most fearless and energetic of the four.
    "Are you guys up for a little fun? Hehe."
    "Calm yourself Valryk. We will have our fun soon enough," replied Zypher
    Shadowblade, the more experienced of the group.
    "Master Zypher?" asked Ryrak Blackdagger, Valryk's younger sister. She was the
    most nimble and agile of the assassins.
    "What is it Ryrak?"
    "What happened to the rest of D.A.R.C.?" Nobody said a thing, and a cold wind
    blew that sent a chill down everyones spine.
    Hawk Darkblood the quiet and lowest ranked of the assassins answered the
    question for Zypher. "You will learn what happened when we do Ryrak."
    The assassins wore jet black cloaks. Under their cloaks the assassins all wore
    full bodied black leather, and shadow steel gauntlets on their wrists. They were
    equiped with dual katanas mounted on their backs, poison capsules on their belts
    and two curved daggers hanging from their belts.
    They sat there for what seemed like an eternity, but then they heard a scream
    from the alley below them and climbed down to investigate.
    "Aaaaah!" screamed the man again.
    "Now...would you like to cooperate or do you need more...inspiration?" asked
    an evil voice from the shadows.
    "I...I..don't know...who your...talking about." The man's voice was getting
    weaker with every word he spoke.
    The assassins watched from smaller buildings around the alley.
    "Those D.A.R.C. assassins that have been seen around here lately," said the
    man in the shadows. His eyes were like a snake right before it was about to strike.
    Valryk grinned at Zypher and threw a poisonous needle at the man in the shadows.
    At that instant he jumped back into the light and pulled out his sword. Valryk jumped
    down and his wrist blades shot out of his gauntlets.
    "What interest do you have in us?" asked Valryk.
    "Interest? I just want to finish what I started!"
    "What do you mean 'finish what you started'?"
    "Oh you haven't heard? D.A.R.C. has been destroyed.
    "What?!" yelled Valryk.
    "It was not me," replied the evil man.
    "Then who is responsible!" anger now rising in Valryk's voice.
    The man started to laugh maniacally.
    "The King of Reapers." he said with a smirk.
    "Then you must be-" Valryk was interupted by Zypher, who was now behind the man.
    "-Hiriku" said Zypher. In one quick movement Zypher impaled his katana in the man.
    Black blood started to pour out of the blade wound and his eyes; then his body started
    to shake violently. A blackish-purple smoke started to seep from all around his body.
    He started to shift into another form. Hiriku had grown spikey scales all
    around his body, forcing off his cloak. Horns also grew from his forehead. His venom green
    eyes now faded to darkness.
    "A monster from the Shadow Mist Nebula?" Zypher said surprised but calm.
    "What's it doing here then?" asked Ryrak.
    "Well Hiriku must have taken over D.A.R.C. Labrynth...and that means
    The Reaper King has somehow been ressurected. There must be thousands more of these
    creatures all around here; shapeshifted into normal people." said Zypher.
    "So what-" Ryrak was cut off by a loud pitch screech that echoed throughout
    Aricrill. The assassins ran towards where the sound had come from. It was Shadow Tower,
    a huge tower in the outskirts of Aricrill. A beam of purple light shot out of Shadow Tower.
    People were running in all directions, screaming. Men in black and red leather were
    chasing and killing them. Suddenly a voice filled the air.
    "Go my Shadow Zealot! Our brothers and sisters must join us. Let all bow down to
    The Cult. If you try to flee, you will become a servant of The Reaper King."
    All the Shadow Zealot pulled out blade that had a purple glow. They started to
    stab every man, women, and child. The ones who were stabbed transformed into Shadow Zealot.
    "Well looks like we get to have some fun after all ey Zypher," Valryk said as he
    ejected his wrist blades.
    "Indeed," replied Zypher; pulling out his katanas. Ryrak and Hawk did did the same.
    Valryk, Ryrak, Hawk, and Zypher dispersed in opposite directions hacking down
    Shadow Zealot. Buildings were burning, trees were being thrown into crowds of running
    civilians. Aricrill was turning into a wasteland.
    Valryk ran along a wall dived off and stabbed a Shadow Zealot as he turned to
    face him. Valryk sensed something. He ascended a tall building and looked around. He saw
    Hawk cutting through countless Shadow Zealot. Zypher was hiding in a well waiting for the
    Shadow Zealot around him to turn their backs. Then Valryk's eyes widened as he saw Ryrak
    get jumped by a group of peasants mistaking her for a Shadow Zealot. Valryk jumped
    off the building and unleashed his signature move; The Thousand Needle Barrage. It
    starts with two needles that multipy into one thousand. The peasants froze the instant
    the needles hit them; then a moment later, their bodies fell to the floor.
    "Whew that was close," sighed Ryrak.
    "I'm not coming to your rescue again Ry," said Valryk.
    "Val? You called me by my nickname," Ryrak said happily.
    "Lets get going," Valryk said sounding annoyed.
    Valryk and Ryrak started to head towards Shadow Tower. It seemed like the closer
    they got to the tower the less Shadow Zealot they had to fight. Valryk was starting to
    suspect that something very strange was happening.
    "Hey Ry," said Valryk in a calm yet puzzled voice.
    "Yeah Val?" replied Ryrak in a quiet, concerned voice.
    "I feel like...theres something wrong about this."
    "Naw because magical beams shoot out of Shadow Tower all the time. And strange
    men attack Aricrill everyday," Ryrak said sarcasticly.
    Valryk sighed. "What I meant was that we are seeing less Shadow Zealot with
    every step we take towards Shadow Tower."
    "Maybe whoever or...whatever sent them is calling of the attack,"
    "I dont know. It just doesn't make much sense. And why would anyone attack
    Aricrill anyway? This place is like a fortress."
    "I dont know either Val."
    They almost reached Shadow Tower but stopped when they saw Hawk and Zypher
    fighting a horde of Shadow Zealot. They were cornered and exhausted. Valryk ran
    towards the fray.
    "We're here Zypher!" yelled Valryk, pulling out his katanas. Ryrak followed him,
    pulling out her daggers.
    "Your timing could have been better Valryk. I should have you demoted," replied
    Zypher jokingly.
    "Well then you should be demoted for getting cornered like this in the first place,"
    said Valryk, laughing. Zypher joined him in his laughter hacking wildly at Shadow Zealot,
    slaughtering then like lambs.
    More and more Shadow Zealot joined the fight making it harder for the assassins
    to fight them off. They were running out of energy.
    "We can't hold off like this much longer," said Ryrak panting. Nobody else wanted
    to admit it but they all knew it was true.
    "I hate it when your right Ryrak," said Valryk almost completely out of breathe.
    The enemies started to close in on the assassins. Then they all stoped as they
    heard a cut through the air. A cloud of smoke enveloped the Shadow Zealot.
    "What the hell is going on?!" screamed Valryk. The assassins watched as Shadow
    Zealot were being hurled out of the smoke; their bodies dismembered. There was another
    cut through the air and the smoke started to clear.
    "Hello D.A.R.C.," said a cold, dark voice.
    "Who the ******** are you?!" screamed Valryk, with a hint of hate in his voice.
    "Haha this is the thanks I get for saving your life?" said the man who was
    now visible. "Last time I do that then I guess." He started to walk away.
    "You didn't answer my question!"
    The man stopped and turned his head. "The names Xero, heres my card." He winked
    and threw a small ball into the air which bounced and rolled to Valryks feet.
    Valryk crouched down to inspect it and realized it was a flash pellet. It exploded in
    his face, blinding him. The other assassins were fast enough to hide under their cloaks.
    Valryks vision came back a few moments later. Zypher, Hawk, and Ryrak came out
    of their cloaks.
    "He's gone!" said Valryk looking around for Xero.
    "He must have been very strong to defeat all these Shadow Zealot so quickly,"
    said Zypher.
    "We didn't need his help," Valryk said in an annoyed tone.
    "Don't be such a fool Valryk!"
    There was silence. A soft wind blew through the air.
    "I guess we shoul head towards Shadow Tower now...before anything else
    strange happens again," said Ryrak.
    Valryk and Ryrak looked at each other and laughed. Hawk and Zypher joined them
    in the laughter.
    It was ended as a huge piece of a building flew through the sky and crashed
    down into the ground. The assassins avoided jumped back and avoided it. A collosal
    beast with a purple cloud of smoke around its body jumped right onto the broken rumble.
    "Are you ******** kidding me?!" yelled Valryk.
    "They're called Shadow Giants," said Zypher.
    The beast rampaged around the assassins trying to crush them with its massive
    fists.
    Valryk threw two needles at its eyes, blinding it. It swung its fists around
    violently. After about a minute of it'd blind rampage it stopped and pulled the needles
    out of it's eyes.
    "I think you pissed it off Val," said Ryrak.
    Valryk looked towards his sister and said "At least I didn't annoy it with my-"
    The beast punched Valryk and sent him flying. It charged Valryk and tried to hit him him
    again but Valryk was too fast and jumped back to avoid the hit. The beasts fist
    dug into the ground making the ground shake. Valryk ran up it's arm, slicing in it with
    his katanas. Once he reached the beasts shoulder he sheathed his katanas and released his
    wrist blades. He jumped and raised one arm; the wrist blade reflected light off the blade
    which blinded the beast again. To Valryk time was going in slow motion, and in mid-air he
    performed a coup de grae.
    Valryk lept backwards off the beast and flipped; landing on the ground. His wrist
    blades retracted and at the same moment the beast roared and fell to the ground loudly; causing
    dust to fly outward from it's body.
    "Well that was easy," said Valryk.
    "Ha, what are you talking about you got knocked across the ground," said Zypher
    laughing.
    "That was Ryrak's fault, she-" Zypher cut him off. "No that was your fault. Next
    time watch what's going on around you before you waste your time arguing."
    Everybody laughed except Valryk.
    "Ok! Now if were all done lau-" This time Ryrak cut him off laughing hysterically.
    Valryk kicked up a rock into his hand and threw it at Ryrak. She fell to the ground but
    continued laughing.
    "******** it let's leave her here." Valryk started to walk away towards Shadow Tower.
    Zypher and Hawk followed him.
    Ryrak looked up and realized they were gone. "Wait...wait for me!" She go up
    and ran to catch up with them.
    "Took you long enough," said Valyrk chuckling.
    "You guys left me there!" said Ryrak.
    "Hehe, shut you up."
    "You threw a rock at me," Ryrak said; her eyes narrowing.
    "Ah, don't you just love my brotherly love," Valryk said smiling. Zypher and
    Hawk laughed so hard they couldn't breath.
    "Your such an a** Val!" said Ryrak.
    Valryk looked at her and smiled. "I know."
    They climbed a hill and saw Shadow Tower. Surrounding it were thousands of Shadow
    Zealot and about ten Shadow Giants.
    "Anyone know how we're going to pull this one off?" asked Ryrak.
    "Hehe. I've been saving a little something for an occasion exactly like this,"
    Zypher said with a grin.
    "What are you talking about Zypher?" asked Valryk with a look of confusion on
    his face.
    Zypher reached into his pouch and pulled out a curved metal bar with wraps around
    it.
    "Hehe, you guys are gunna like this one."
    The bar shifted form into what looked like a bow and spikes grew out of it. It's
    sleek black color was as dark as the nights sky; and it had a string as red as blood.
    "What does it do?" asked Ryrak.
    Without another word Zypher pulled back the string and a red glowing arrow
    appeared on it. He aimed it into the sky, and shot the arrow into the clouds. It
    looked like a stream of fire.
    "And what was that supposed to do?" said Valryk. There was a pause.
    "Zy why didn't you aim it at the enemies? Why at the sky?" said Ryrak.
    "Look up," said Zypher grinning again.
    The assassins all looked into the sky. A moment later they all saw the red arrow
    that Zypher had shot into the sky come down. Following that single red beam was about
    a million more. The blood red color filled the sky and rained down on Shadow Tower;
    killing every single Shadow Zealot and Shadow Beast.
    Valryk and Ryrak's faces were struck with awe, while Hawk and Zypher just stood
    there and watched the annihilation.
    "Too bad this thing can only be used once," said Zypher.
    "Where did you get that?!" said Valryk.
    "I used to do some...secret missions for D.A.R.C. back in the day." Zypher and
    Hawk laughed.
    "So I guess we can just walk right on in now huh?" said Ryrak.
    "Kinda," said Zypher.
    "What do you mean 'kinda'?" said Valryk.
    "Haha you think that was it? I've been on missions where I had to kill entire
    clans."
    "I guess we got an adventure on our hands then?"
    "You better believe it."
    The assassins jumped down the hill and ran towards Shadow Tower. They stopped at
    the huge double doors that lead inside Shadow Tower.
    Zypher walked up to the door, placed his hand flat on it, and it blasted open.
    "Whoah!" screamed Ryrak.
    "Hehe I've got alot more up my sleeve yound Ryrak," said Zypher.
    *Looks like what I feared is coming true.* thought Zypher as the assassins
    entered Shadow Tower.